Malone: What’s wrong with ‘Merry Christmas’? (More RW 'Noise Machine')

[NewHampshireDem]

I love it when these RW morons take a fake news story and act as though it is the real thing, then repeat, repeat, repeat .... Malone has done a commendable job of making the issue not only Christmas, but Thanksgiving, too--just because someone asked her if she had a "good holiday." What a dumbass.


http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=48234

TWO CHEERS for the Committee to Save Merry Christmas. The new group is organizing a boycott of the Federated Department Stores, primarily Macy’s and Bloomingdales, which wish shoppers a very secular “Happy Holidays” instead of the religiously tinged “Merry Christmas.” The committee has the right general idea, but the wrong target.

Too many of us who celebrate Christmas are afraid to broadcast it or share it, for fear of asserting our Christianity or making others feel excluded. This spineless “Happy Holidays, because I don’t want to offend you in case you’re not Christian, or are an angry ex-Christian, or hate your parents and every toy you ever got on Christmas, or whatever” has gone too far. America may be a mosaic, but most of the mosaic celebrates Christmas. And the minority that chooses not to shouldn’t be offended. In modern urban life, half the people for whom we buy Christmas presents probably aren’t even Christian. But we think of them no differently, which is great.

This fear of offending is even corrupting Thanksgiving, which may have Pilgrim roots but is a totally secular day. “Have a happy holiday!” colleagues said on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. “Did you have a good holiday?” they asked the Monday after. Are we now afraid of offending vegetarians and professional ingrates by uttering the word Thanksgiving?

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[ixion]

1. so typical of so many 'Christian' institutions

it's not good enough for them to be able to practice their religion in private. They have to rub everyone's nose in it. :grr:

[Skittles]

10. and that is exactly why I am so f***ing sick of them

sick of them and their sanctimonious, asshole ways. Absolutely SICK OF IT.

[ixion]

11. yep...I agree

I wish that for once in two thousand years that they could mind their own damn business.

[Skittles]

19. I'm not anti-religion, I just don't want it in my face

is that too much too ask? Apparently it is. :o

[GeorgeGist]

2. If they will wear badges...

indicating their membership in the 'Committee to Save Merry Christmas' I will be more than delighted to wish them a

Merry Phucking Christmas, you ignorant, hypocritical, thoughtless, self-absorbed, egotistical, fascist, Asshole.

Did I leave anything out?

[Maeve]

3. Well, we could ask them why they insist on wishing people Happy New Year

Instead of "Happy Feast of the Circumcision" or, more up-to-date, "Happy Solemnity of Mary". They're just trying to take religion out of the day! :eyes:

[struggle4progress]

4. Of course, they COULD decry the commercialism of Christmas,

asking people to perform acts of charity instead of buying crap.

Or they COULD simply encourage Christian individuals to wish everyone "Merry Christmas" between now and Epiphany.

Instead, they enjoy threatening honest non-christians, who refuse to say "Merry Christmas," with financial reprisals: WASPy ethnocentrism at its worst.

[genieroze]

5. Tell them to shop at Walmart.

Their fascist leader loves Walmart.

[Patiod]

13. Oh please, these folks aren't shopping Macy's & Bloomies

anyway. Hardly their demographic.

[phasev]

23. Mart

They shop at any place that ends in "mart"

K-mart
Wal-Mart

[CatholicEdHead]

6. This Committee

has way too much time on their hands. Don't think, just spend and consume and put money in the collection plate.

[newyorican]

7. Nothing wrong with it...

Just don't do any business with anyone other than Christians. All of this is much ado over nothing. Businesses for years have sent out culturally neutral Holiday cards to customers, domestic and international. Nothing personal, just Business.

If you want to really make a point, get some of these Oil Companies to send cards saying "Merry Christmas" to their counterparts in the countries they get the oil from. The closest my company got to that stage was sending a card with all of the greetings on the front, including the generic, "Happy Holidays". Our Sales Director flipped her wig when she discovered cards stating Happy Hanuka were sent to Arab customers and Happy Ramadan to Israeli customers. Not sure of her politics, but at that point in time she belonged to the money making party.

[silverweb]

8. Oh, brother.

Some people simply have too much time on their hands.

:eyes:

It's a multicultural world, a global village, like it or not. It's got nothing whatever to do with being "fainthearted" or whatever other nonsense this idiot is spouting. It's got to do with being inclusive of everyone's traditions.

Happy Yule to all this Winter Solstice!

[Mokito]

9. Uhm...not to crash his wee little rant fest,

but did someone ever consider to mention to this chap that the word "holiday" is derived from the words "HOLY" and "DAY"?

Secular? Uh, thats a new one to me.

note to self: check meaning of "HOLY" again in dictionary.

[Bridget Burke]

15. Do you know the true meaning of Christmas?

Why, it's Christ-mass. An Ungodly mixture of the Popish & the Pagan. At least, according to The Last Trumpet Ministries International!

If you are an honest, sincere and discerning Christian, please read on; if not, you might as well stop right here. The World Book Encyclopedia defines "Christmas" as follows: "The word Christmas comes from "Cristes Maesse", an early English phrase that means "Mass of Christ." (1) It is interesting to note that the word "Mass", as used by the Roman Catholics, has traditionally been rejected by the so-called Protestants, such as Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and so on. The word "Mass" is strictly a Catholic word and thus, so is "Christ-Mass."

It would stand to reason, that since all of these denominations love and embrace "Christ-Mass", that December 25th is the great homecoming day, when all of the Protestants become Catholic for a day. It would seem that all of the so-called "wayward daughters" of the Romish church return to their mother, the scarlet harlot. Thus, all of the so-called Protestant churches could sing to the Pope that popular song "I'll be home for Christmas"......

Now you know the true meaning of the word "Christmas" or Mass of Christ. There is much more to know about this pagan holiday, and we will be glad to provide you with plenty of evidence that Jesus was not born on December 25th, and that Christmas is not only a lie, but is actually a witches' sabbat called "Yule" in clever disguise. Please contact us at the address below, and for the sake of your soul, flee from idolatry!

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract4.html

There are lots of these ultra-Calvinist, neo-Puritans out there. In fact, some are at the heart of the Christian Reconstructionist movement. Our local garden variety Fundamentalists/Evangelists would be amazed if only they knew.



"

[Mari333]

12. Xmas was a pagan holiday in the first place

so anyone celebrating it could be called a pagan, if they get too snotty.


http://de.essortment.com/christmaspagan_rece.htm

[phantom power]

14. Which Christians, exactly, are afraid to express their faith?

The ones I know won't ever shut up about it. And since when is "Happy Holidays" a major political statement? People have been saying "happy holidays" since well before I was born.

[aikido15]

18. Good point...

What is wrong with these people...it's always something, whine, whine and more whining.

[yellowcanine]

16. The fundies should look up the word "merry" before they advocate

connecting it to a Christian holiday.

From Webster's Dictionary:

merry - full of gaity or high spirits

merriment - a GAY celebration or party.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. What a dumbass indeed!

Closing her first paragraph, she says, "The committee has the right general idea, but the wrong target." If it's the wrong target, what are you giving them TWO CHEERS for? Me thinks you've been sipping a bit too much spiked eggnog, Bernadette.

Then there's these gems:

"Too many of us who celebrate Christmas are afraid to broadcast it or share it, for fear of asserting our Christianity or making others feel excluded." - So whose problem is THAT?

"This spineless “Happy Holidays, because I don’t want to offend you in case you’re not Christian, or are an angry ex-Christian, or hate your parents and every toy you ever got on Christmas, or whatever” has gone too far. America may be a mosaic, but most of the mosaic celebrates Christmas."

In case she hadn't noticed, maybe because her big Christmas tree was blocking her view from the rest of the world, or again, maybe too much of that DAMN TASTY eggnog, there are LOTS of winter holidays - Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Years, and others at or around the grandmama of them all, the Winter Solstice - and by saying "Happy Holidays" you are saying, not spinelessly, but with respect and joy, that whatever holiday one celebrates, we wish that it be a happy one for you. Bernadette pointing out that "most of the mosaic celebrates Christmas" fails to mention that most of the mosaic celebrates Christmas in a way of non-religious, Santa Claus and Christmas trees and ho-ho-ho and EGGNOG and above all else SHOP 'TIL MIDNIGHT, ie. AGAIN, it has little or nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.

"The Committee to Save Merry Christmas should focus its efforts on the true public square — the public schools, town centers, government buildings, etc., where a “Merry Christmas” display will land you in front of the Supreme Court. These areas are maintained and used by taxpayers, who have as much of a right to celebrate religion as those who choose not to celebrate religion. Our Constitution prohibits a particular state church, not the mixing of religion with public life."

The right wing does love to beat this dead horse, doesn't it. These public places are maintained and used by ALL taxpayers, not just Christian ones. Unless they plan on putting up a Christmas display for Christmas, a menorah for Chanukah, some kind of nod to the traditions and values celebrated in Kwanzaa, a display honoring the Pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice, and this is all supposed to take place and be changed out during the month of December, well, you get my point. Bernadette and those like her, just don't, or more likely JUST WON'T. Furthermore, their are plenty of Christians, believe it or not, who think that a Christmas display has NO PLACE at any kind of government building BECAUSE it is religious.

She closes with, "Christmas is kept in our hearts, not in the department stores. We need a Committee to Save Merry Christmas, but we don’t need a boycott of Macy’s and Bloomingdales." No, since the only thing the Committee is suggesting is the boycott of a private businesses, we in fact DO NOT need a Committee to Save Merry Christmas, at least not this committee.

[bklyncowgirl]

20. Merry Christmas is appropriate when you know a person or ...

the stranger in question is wearing visible means of identifying his/her religious beliefs.

I would gladly say Merry Christmas to someone wearing a cross or Happy Hannukah to someone wearing a Star of David. Ditto for holidays for Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans etc.

If someone isn't wearing their religion on their lapel or around their neck it really is more polite to use the generic but admittedly somewhat lame "Happy Holidays".

If these people want other people to say Merry Christmas, why don't they just wear a cross or a great big Santa pin that says "Wish me a Merry Christmas".

[Overseas]

21. I agree-- They are the ones using Christmas as a weapon

I have been sickened by the "goddamn it, I'm gonna celebrate my Christmas and you damn liberals are not gonna take it away !!" rhetoric. As though a smidgen of courtesy to the non-Christians is such a tough strain on the good and proper Christians. Amazing that they can make a little bit of politeness out to be a ridiculous, huge imposition on them !!

[anitar1]

25. MERRY CHRISTMAS

This is all horse puck--Happy Solstice, Everyone--

[phasev]

22. Christmas was stolen

So yes, people ought to be ashamed when they try to greet me "Merry Christmas" because it was stolen from the Pagan Yule.

[HippieCowgirl]

24. "Merry Christmas" doesn't bother me

It's sometimes delivered in the same tone as "Have a nice day" in which I can ignore it. But some people sincerely mean it when they say it. They are expressing a heartfelt sentiment. I can't argue with that.

What's wrong with replying with your own holiday or holy-day greeting?

Them: "Eid Mubarak, neighbor!"
Me: "And a happy thanksgiving to you too!"

Them: "Merry Christmas!"
Me: "And a good Yule to you too!"

Them: "Have a blessed day!" (Yes, I do hear this in Texas)
Me: "Thank you."

[yellowcanine]

26. Real fundies say "Blessed Christmas". Can't have any of that "gaity"

Webster synonym for merriment is gay so I don't think the fundies should be promoting this.